Fewer women serve in Poland’s armed forces than in any other NATO member state.

Around 1,000 women of different military ranks are serving in the Polish army, which consists in total of 100,272 soldiers. Most women serve in the military health service.

Compared to other armed forces within NATO, women are underrepresented in the armed forces.

In the US Army, for example, with armed forces 1.4 million string, 15 percent, or 200,000, are women.

The number of women in the Polish armed forces has been gradually rising, however. In 2005, only 512 women served, in 2007 the number increased to 800 women and currently around 1,000 women are serving in the Polish land forces, air force and navy.

Female soldiers hope that with the professionalisation of the Polish armed forces, which started this year, women will assume more important roles in the armed forces.

“Women already occupy very responsible positions in the army and perfectly meet their obligations. I am convinced that, similarly to female pilots, soon women will also drive tanks. We just need male commanders to trust us,” Major Aleksandra Michalik told Polish Radio. (mg)